The invention concerns a tooth care element such as a toothbrush with a replaceable insert.
Toothbrushes with replaceable brush inserts have been previously proposed. With such toothbrushes it is possible to exchange different brush inserts having bristles of different hardness, for example, while retaining the handle piece. The head part of the handle piece is designed to effect a positive and/or frictional connection with the brush insert. For example, the head part of the handle piece may have a dove-tail or tongue-shaped insertion part which is inserted into an appropriately shaped recess of the brush insert to clamp or lock-in the insert. It is common to these configurations that the production of the brush insert is relatively complicated due to the required presence of the insertion opening.
In a known toothbrush of the afore-mentioned generic type (disclosed in German No. OS-30 38 895), a mounting part of the brush insert is placed into a socket of the elongated handle. Radially projecting ledges on the mounting part are locked into corresponding elongated recesses in the inner wall of the socket. A projection located on the rear side of the mounting part extends through an elongated opening in the rear wall of the socket. By depressing this pressure projection the insert may be released from the socket.
In this known toothbrush, a gap existing between the tongue of the insert and a front rim of the socket is open, whereby during the use of the toothbrush, substances such as food particles, toothpaste residues, and saliva may enter the gap from the bristle-side thereof and cannot be removed even by a thorough cleaning of the toothbrush unless the insert is removed. The presence of such substances is undesirable for hygienic reasons. Eventually, the forces applied during use of the toothbrush may produce a temporary widening of the gap, thereby generating a pumping action which facilitates the penetration of impurities.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a toothbrush of the afore-mentioned type in which the penetration of impurities from the bristle side is prevented, even despite the application of forces during use.